R32 - thoughts from the test drive

[daveknott]

"R32" – its an evocative badge these days. The car basks in the glow of rave Clarkson reviews, and looks like a classy, mini GT. It’s all a far cry from the brash, “max power” version 1 car.

The MKV R32 goes about its business with much more understatement than the MK1 R32, but still packs some serious hardware. It has 250 horsepower from its 3.2 V6, and can cover the 0-60 rush in around 6 seconds. If you spec the DSG gearbox, and use the hidden “Launch control” feature it feels even quicker.

Simply disengage the traction control, slip the DSG Gearlever into “S” (Sport mode), put your left foot on the brake and then build up the revs. The car will hold the revs at around 3,500 – as soon as you release the brake pedal, you’re off! The Haldex 4wd system hooks up to give you incredible punch and grip off the line, and from there on, the DSG gearbox delivers one seamless rush of acceleration. I reckon 0-60 is dispatched in less than 6 seconds with the aid of seamless DSG shifts, and all the while you’re treated to a fantastically fruity blare from the bazooka style twin exhausts.

While we’re talking about sound, I have to say, the noise this car makes is one of its defining features. The stock exhaust system is brilliant. The R operates butterfly valves so that at a cruise, or low revs, the blare from the back is muted and sophisticated. Open the taps however and the valves open – allowing a spitting monster to emerge!

The exhaust crackles and wails like a tiger gargling with Listerine. It really is a great noise and puts you in the mood and brings a massive smile to your face. It’s best appreciated with the seats and windows down – and preferably a nice tunnel or underground car park!

The sporting blare of the exhaust is matched with a great chassis set up. For such a heavy car, the R32 darts into corners with real enthusiasm. It’s just supple enough to shrug off mid corner bumps, and the clever 4wd system shuffles the power around to give you maximum drive out of the corner. It all feels incredibly planted, and surefooted.

On the downside, you could say that it’s too good. The car doesn’t feel edgy in the same way as a 130i M-Sport. There’s little chance of some power oversteer in this car – unless you’re really going for it in the wet. Mostly, the R just grips and goes.

If you really fling it in to a tight bend at speed, the nose does begin to wash wide, but in normal spirited driving on public roads, understeer simply isn’t an issue in the dry.

My biggest criticism of the car though is its interior. When you get in, there’s not much to surprise and delight you. It simply looks like a mildly sporty Golf inside. The blue needles with ice-white lighting are great, and the steering wheel is lovely to hold, but the seats are the same as you’ll get in a GTI (albeit differently upholstered), and the quality of fit and finish on the car’s centre console is dire.

My test car had done 2700 miles, so was pretty much box-fresh, and yet there was a constant, irritating rattle from the plastic mesh that sits atop the centre console. This plastic mesh fits poorly and therefore rattles up and down constantly. Pretty appalling on a car which, in this spec, costs £28,000 – and for me, unforgivable. This sort of poor fit and finish would dissuade me from purchasing as the constant rattles would drive me nuts!

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth for what is otherwise, a great performance car. Fuel economy and emissions though aren’t the best……. In mixed driving, I averaged 22.4 mpg (vs 30mpg for the 130i M-Sport), and the C02 emissions of 235g/km put it in the £400 per year tax bracket. So, running it won’t be cheap, but hey, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill diesel bus.

My other criticism concerns the amount of tyre roar that reaches the cabin on a motorway run. You do have to raise your voice noticeably in volume in order to be heard. Its not disastrously noisy, and I guess it’s the trade-off you accept in order to run large 18” alloys and low profile rubber - the very set up that gives you such confidence inspiring handling and grip when you’re on that B-road blast.

All in all, if VW sort out the interior build quality, up rate the materials used in the cabin, and make that engine a bit cleaner and more economical whilst still retaining the performance (a trick BMW seems able to perform time and time again) the R32 would make a much more compelling case for itself. It’s a cracking car the R32 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/169144-ok.gif[/img], but at the moment, for me, its flaws are too great to make me want to switch from my 130i.

[burble]

One small point, there is no such thing as a MK1, there was a Mk IV though [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[330dcoupe]

Nice review dude.

I like the MK2 R32 - It looks very understated (even if the chrome grill looks very tacky) but it's far to expensive and puts it in used M3 territory.

Wasn't the R32 just a carry on from the VR6 and 4-Motion? - so just a change of badge, really. So the current R32 is a MK2 from when the badge started.

[Riz]

The original Golf R32 MK4 was a limited run to celebrate the end of the run for the MK4 shape, it was a special car made by the boffins at VW, a little project with all the good bits which they could find to build it. This is what made the original R32 feel special.... this included uprated steering and gearbox, large vented brakes similar to the B6 RS4`s, Blistien and H&R suspension setup, bespoke exhaust system build by the Sebring (same company which made the SL55 AMG exhaust system), OZ Aristo allow wheels, V6 engine out of the Phaeton, Konig bucket seats and nice body kit.

I wouldnt call it max power at all and still to this day ive not seen chav`s or boy racers driving them. About 2500 were made for the UK market which makes them pretty exclusive.

I agree that the new MK5 R32 is subtle but for me the better car was the original...... the new one is just a big money making excersise which IMO has devalued the R brand!

Riz [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/the_finger.gif[/img]

[daveknott]

Riz, all I was saying was that the original R32 was much racier looking than the current Mk2 R32. Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on whether you like the "wolf in sheeps clothing" look or not.

[Riz]

[ QUOTE ]
Riz, all I was saying was that the original R32 was much racier looking than the current Mk2 R32. Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on whether you like the "wolf in sheeps clothing" look or not.

[/ QUOTE ]Sorry.... I think I was abit harsh there [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Riz [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif[/img]

[Cupramax]

[ QUOTE ]
this included uprated steering and gearbox, large vented brakes similar to the B6 RS4`s,

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you mean B5 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Nelson_R32]

Just a a few points;

On the downside, you could say that it’s too good. The car doesn’t feel edgy in the same way as a 130i M-Sport. There’s little chance of some power oversteer in this car – unless you’re really going for it in the wet. Mostly, the R just grips and goes.

If you really fling it in to a tight bend at speed, the nose does begin to wash wide, but in normal spirited driving on public roads, understeer simply isn’t an issue in the dry.

I'm convinced that the Haldex settings adjust when you put the car into manual/S mode. Because the car seems much more like a four wheel drive car when you drive spiritedly in these Gearbox settings.

My biggest criticism of the car though is its interior. When you get in, there’s not much to surprise and delight you. It simply looks like a mildly sporty Golf inside. The blue needles with ice-white lighting are great, and the steering wheel is lovely to hold, but the seats are the same as you’ll get in a GTI (albeit differently upholstered), and the quality of fit and finish on the car’s centre console is dire.

My test car had done 2700 miles, so was pretty much box-fresh, and yet there was a constant, irritating rattle from the plastic mesh that sits atop the centre console. This plastic mesh fits poorly and therefore rattles up and down constantly. Pretty appalling on a car which, in this spec, costs £28,000 – and for me, unforgivable. This sort of poor fit and finish would dissuade me from purchasing as the constant rattles would drive me nuts!

My R32 has covered 4000 miles so far and I've yet to hear a rattle from the interior. The lower plastics around the feet area are of a lower grade than say I've had in my Audis. But if anything that makes them more durable when they get hit. Ergonimically it's actually much better than my A3 and the 1 series I looked at. The Navigation screen is at eye level, the climate control doesn't sit low in the Centre Console and the fuel guage release in the door panel is a really classy touch.

It's also worth noting that if you had a £28000 R32 then you have one of the higher specced versions. A base R32, which still includes Xenons, Auto Lights, Auto dimming mirror, TPMS etc, pretty much everything bar leather and Navigation can be had for as little as £23900, and thats before you've haggled 10% off...

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth for what is otherwise, a great performance car. Fuel economy and emissions though aren’t the best……. In mixed driving, I averaged 22.4 mpg (vs 30mpg for the 130i M-Sport), and the C02 emissions of 235g/km put it in the £400 per year tax bracket. So, running it won’t be cheap, but hey, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill diesel bus.

Dealer Demonstrators (especially a car like the R32) are normally driven fast and in urban conditions. We have A3 and A4 2.0TDi's in our Demonstrator stock that currently only show around 39mpg on there DIS. I would expect to see around the figure you got on a Demonstrator R32.

My R32 since 0 miles has so far averaged exactly 27mpg. Which considering I run it on 95RON (which is all you need, as it's only mapped for 95RON) isn't too bad for a V6. Yes, the tax is high, but the fact it only needs 95RON and not expensive 99RON is a saving in itself. Swings and Roundabouts as they say

My other criticism concerns the amount of tyre roar that reaches the cabin on a motorway run. You do have to raise your voice noticeably in volume in order to be heard. Its not disastrously noisy, and I guess it’s the trade-off you accept in order to run large 18” alloys and low profile rubber - the very set up that gives you such confidence inspiring handling and grip when you’re on that B-road blast.

Tyre roar is usually down to the tyre manufacturer rather than the car itself. Mine runs SP Sport Maxx's and I don't suffer any noise. Although I've heard of cars leaving the factory with PS2's which do roar from my own experience.

It’s a cracking car the R32 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/169144-ok.gif[/img], but at the moment, for me, its flaws are too great to make me want to switch from my 130i.

The attributes of the R32 was the reason I didn't go for a 130i in the end It's amazing how two people can come to such different conclusions. Whilst I found the 130i was more fun in normal driving and had more power (less torque though I might add) I couldn't live with the looks, the poor boot and luggage space and the fact it was £32000 (yes, you read it right!) with my spec. Not even the rediculous discount being offered and the fact the salesman was a friend could change my mind.

The R32 has qualities which go beyond the sum of it's parts, almost as if it has a soul

[ghibbett]

Are you aware that the R32 has a boot volume of 275litres vs 330litres for the 130i?

[Mook]

I guess if the size of the boot is important and you're prepared to put up with driving a slab-sided car that's as pretty as a slug on acid, then the 130 is for you.